1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to social networking and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for collecting and storing reliable information about individuals in a social network.
2. Background of the Invention
The Internet provides enterprises and individuals with the ability to communicate with a world-wide audience. In the past few years, there has been an explosion in the popularity and volume of use of the Internet, facilitating interaction among individuals. A number of services have been developed and offered over the years which allow individuals to network socially over the Internet for specific purposes. For example, some services such as Match.com and eHarmony match individuals for dating purposes, while other services such as Friendster and LinkedIN match individuals for social and business networking purposes.
These existing services have a specific purpose of connecting people to help facilitate introductions and personal networking. There is a need, however, that remains unfulfilled by these existing services, a need for universal services that provide reliable and trustworthy information about individuals, such as reliable and trustworthy feedback on issues important to others. Accordingly, there is a need for a universal service that provides users with reliable and trustworthy information about individuals.